Key Lake
Fishing and stocking
Bluegill, channel catfish, and hybrid striped bass water, stocked through the 2024-25 season program; 8,475 fish in the published allocation. One of 9 stocked waters on the Hardee County record.
Hardee County ยท Florida · see it on the national map
What swims here
Bluegill
Channel catfish
Hybrid striped bass (wiper)
Season program record
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission publishes this water by season or program window, not by dated schedule, so there are no truck dates to list; the rows below are the published program allocations. The Florida season shape statewide: year round, reported by fiscal year.
Agency feed checked today.
| Season | Species | Size | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 season | Bluegill | 6,200 | |
| 2024-25 season | Channel catfish | 775 | |
| 2024-25 season | Hybrid striped bass (wiper) | 1,500 |
When to fish Key Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:05 am-12:05 pm and 10:27 pm-12:27 am | 4:22-5:22 am and 4:41-5:41 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:51 am-12:51 pm | 5:22-6:22 am and 5:13-6:13 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked through the 2024-25 season program
Computed this evening, Oct 23
Gear for this water
For the panfish (bluegill on the season program here)
| Small tubes and grubs | 1 to 2 inch plastics for crappie around brush |
| Long telescoping pole | reach the pockets without spooking the school |
| Ultralight rod and small jigs | 1/32 to 1/64 oz jigs under a float; 2 to 4 lb line |
For the catfish (channel catfish on the season program here)
| Cut bait and prepared baits | fresh cut shad or chicken liver; scent is everything |
| Rod holders | catfishing is a waiting game; fish two rods where legal |
| Medium-heavy rod | 7 ft medium-heavy, 15 to 20 lb line, sturdy reel |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Sandhill Lake | 0.3 mi | 2024-25 season |
| Lake O'Rourke | 0.4 mi | 2024-25 season |
| Lake Wildcat | 0.6 mi | 2024-25 season |
| Lake Rotary | 1.0 mi | 2024-25 season |
| Mosaic FMA Pine Lakes | 4.9 mi | 2024-25 season |